


The whether and when of his brother

by LiveOakWithMoss



Series: Punching out my dancelines [4]
Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Brothers, DWMP verse, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-01
Updated: 2015-07-01
Packaged: 2018-04-06 18:06:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4231629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveOakWithMoss/pseuds/LiveOakWithMoss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Maglor and Caranthir, "Amuse me".</p>
            </blockquote>





	The whether and when of his brother

**Author's Note:**

> 0\. Maglor is about 17 or 18 here, Celegorm around 15, and Caranthir is 12ish.

Celegorm was lying on his bed, headphones on, listening to music and trying to figure out what to text Aredhel to get her to pay attention to him, when he noticed the other occupant of his bedroom was standing over him, dark brows drawn together ominously.

“Whaddaya want, Moryo?” Celegorm unhooked one headphone and glanced at his younger brother.

“What wrong with Kano?”

Celegorm shook his head woefully over the plight that was their older brother. “So many things, kid. He’s a prissy dorky music dweeb, to start, and don’t get me started on his clothes…”

“No, I mean now. He’s been shut in his room and won’t talk to anyone, not even when mom tried to go in.”

“Oh.” Celegorm half sat up. “I dunno. He’s been weird ever since Nelyo left for college, though, hasn’t he? Also I overheard the seniors on the football team talking and I think that girl he was dating dumped him. Yeah, pretty sure, because she’s definitely going out with the running back now.” Celegorm blew out his breath. “She’s hot, too. Wonder how dorky dweeby Kano got her?”

But Caranthir had already gone.

-

Maglor pressed himself back into the corner where his bed met the wall. Usually, when he was in a bad mood, he could combat it by writing or playing music, but neither his fingers nor his inspiration seemed to be cooperating, and he’d not answered his phone when Daeron called about band practice. Instead, his mood had worsened, growing darker and bleaker. He didn’t know why he was letting the breakup get to him this badly - they’d only gone out a couple times, and he wasn’t terribly emotionally invested - but his pride had been wounded, for sure. That alone, though, was not enough for him to feel this wretched, and alone; for his mood to overtake him this totally. And it didn’t help every time he looked across the room at the unnaturally tidy desk and bed, now totally unoccupied. 

Maedhros had been gone two months, and he didn’t think he’d ever get used to it.

Scrubbing furiously at his eyes, Maglor pulled his knees into his chest and dug his fingers into his hair. He wanted, desperately to call Maedhros, but he had promised himself he’d let him settle into school without his kid brother calling constantly. It’s what he would have wanted, in Maedhros’ position, to be left alone by pestering family. Right?

He jumped when he realized, suddenly, that he wasn’t alone.

Caranthir was standing in his doorway, dark hair spiky and wild as usual, black eyebrows very serious. He was almost as tall as Maglor, even though he was only in middle school, and skinny as a reed.

“Moryo?”

Caranthir didn’t answer, but slouched across the room. Maglor watched curiously as Caranthir sat on the end of his bed, folding his legs in front of him and then lifting something out from under his shirt. 

“What’s that - oh.”

“I thought you could use some company,” Caranthir muttered, as the snake curled around his hands, and then dropped to the bedspread to start investigating some wrinkles in the blanket. “I know when I’m unhappy I don’t always want people around, but I don’t want to be alone, y’know, and…Well, Mr. Sna- El Diablo isn’t a person. But he’s good company.”

Maglor laid a hand on the bedspread, and the snake flicked its tongue out to get a sense of it before starting to move over his wrist.

Caranthir shrugged. “Anyway. I’ll leave ‘im with you. You can send him back to me when you don’t want him around anymore.” He got up to leave, but Maglor reached out and caught his wrist. 

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“El Diablo’s nice,” said Maglor, “but I wouldn’t mind having some person company, too. Just one person, anyway. I think I could manage that.”

Caranthir looked at him, and then a crooked smile flashed across his face, very swiftly. He settled into the corner alongside Maglor, their shoulders pressing together, as the snake curled lazily around their feet. 

“Hey Moryo?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you like sharing a room with Tyelko?”

“It’s not bad. Sometimes he boots me out when Irissë comes over, though. Or other girls. Or his friends. Or when I’m bugging him.”

Maglor nodded thoughtfully. “How would you like to try a different roommate, for a while? I’ve got a free bed.”

Caranthir thought about it. “What’s your policy on reptiles?”

“They’re not people. But they’re good company.”

“Okay.” Another, rare smile. “Okay, yeah, we’re in.”

And for the first time in two months, Maglor’s spirits lifted.


End file.
